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Originally Posted by Dowly
SH4 is a sequel to SHIII and should be reviewed as one. SHIII was a huge leap from SHII and deserved the 10/10.
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Sorry, but I disagree.
Sure it was a GREAT advance, but this also has to be viewed in the context of the time at which it was released. In other words, a big advance over a game released 5 years ago isn't exactly hard to achieve. Add to that the fact that SHII was the most appalling piece of crap out of the box, then the comparison becaomes "damning with faint praise" i.e. yes, a huge advance over SHII, but then SHII was such rubbish that just about anything would've been a huge advance.
IMO, reviews should be done entirely on the basis of what is delivered vs. what is promised. In this case it's a sim. So, the review has to look at how well the product simulates the reality, plus how it delivers on any promises made. It should then consider such 'basics' as sound, video and "playability/enjoyment".
The fact that the modders have managed to make great strides in improving the game indicates that a 10/10 rating for vanilla is nonsense. After all, if you give 10/10 you're saying it can't be improved!! I can think of things that could still be improved (as a simple example, think of the crew fatigue as it operated as per initial design), and I'm sure the master modders could list plenty.
So, let's see a clear discussion of all the strengths and weaknesses of SHIV when it arrives, but not some crazy score based on the fact that it is the 'best yet'.
Having said all that, I think SHIII is terrific, but the mods (such as NYGM) have increased the score the game would receive now, so to give the vanilla 10/10 is simply not justifiable.
Cheers